The arrest of Khezri took place at his family’s residence, and notably, no arrest warrant was presented by the security forces.
The specific grounds for Khezri’s detention and the allegations against him remain
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, sourced from Kurdpa, Fereydoon Nabi has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment along with a financial penalty.
The Mahabad Revolutionary Court handed down a three-year, seven-month sentence for “assembly and collusion against national security,” a two-year, eleven-month sentence for “membership in an anti-regime political party,” and an additional eight-month sentence for “propaganda against the regime.” Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, the three-year, seven-month prison term will be enforceable.
Furthermore, the Piranshahr Criminal Court has sentenced Nabi to six months in prison and a fine for “carrying an illegal weapon and throwing a Molotov cocktail.”
On October 29, 2022, security forces arrested Nabi at his family residence in Piranshahr without presenting an arrest warrant. After two days of interrogation at a detention facility in Urmia, he was subsequently incarcerated in Naghadeh Prison. Nabi was eventually released on bail on May 9, 2023.
Pursuant to Article 134 of the Islamic Penal Code, he will serve a mandatory five-year term.
Initially, on November 10, 2022, the Oshnavieh Criminal Court sentenced Hama-Shour to five years in prison for his alleged involvement in an anti-regime political party. Additionally, he was given a four-year sentence for purportedly assisting in setting fire to a bank in Oshnavieh, and three years for defying authority by using weapons. Presiding over the case, Judge Ali Hassanzadeh upheld this verdict at the West Azerbaijan Court of Appeals.
Hama-Shour was arrested on September 27, 2022, without showing an arrest warrant, by security forces who subsequently detained him in Urmia Prison.
On July 23, 2022, Iran Police Intelligence (FARAJA) arrested them in the Sumay-ye Beradust District of Urmia County.
Despite repeated inquiries from families and lawyers, the whereabouts of these individuals and the specific charges against them remain unknown. Families have sought answers from various prisoners and judicial authorities in Kurdistan, Isfahan, and Tehran, but have faced threats, disrespect, and coerced confessions broadcasted on Iran state TV instead.
Security-institution-affiliated news agency, Tasnim, reported the arrest of “a network of Israeli spies,” referring to these individuals. Tasnim also claimed that they possessed operational and communication equipment, as well as explosive materials, and had crossed into the country from the Kurdistan region with the intention of carrying out unprecedented terrorist operations in secure-sensitive locations.
Approximately 80 days after their arrest, Iran’s state TV aired their coerced confessions, accusing them of spying for foreign intelligence and stating that they had been apprehended in sensitive sites in Isfahan.
In response, Komalah (CPI-a Kurdish oppositional political party) issued a statement denying all these allegations and warned about intelligence institutions’ conspiring against detainees who have been accused of being members of the party.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, there has been a noticeable increase in the execution of prisoners in Iranian prisons from April 28 to May 9, 2023.
Based on the reports compiled by HRANA, the death sentences were carried out in several prisons, including Rajai Shahr (Karaj), Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Urmia, Salmas, Ardabil, Dastgerd (Isfahan), Vakilabad (Mashhad), Neishabur, Torbat-e-Jam, Rasht, Yazd, Birjand, Qazvin, Minab, Bandar Abbas, Zahedan, Khorramabad, and Iranshahr.
Out of the 57 executed prisoners, 36 were convicted of drug-related charges, 17 for murder, two for insulting the Prophet of Islam, and one for alleged “spreading corruption on earth.” In one case the charges remain unknown.
At least 38 death-row prisoners were also transferred to solitary confinement in Salmas, Urmia, Khorin, Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Yazd, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, Adelabad (Shiraz) and Zahedan, which could be a prelude to their execution. HRANA is investigating their fate, and the statistics presented in this report could increase.
As of the time of writing, most of these executions have not been announced by official sources or media inside Iran.
The issuance and execution of death sentences violate the right to live and have been heavily criticized by international organizations, with Iran ranking first globally in execution rate per capita.
On May 9, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called these recent increases in executions “frightening” and urged Iranian authorities to halt all executions. “On average so far this year, over 10 people are put to death each week in Iran, making it one of the world’s highest executors,” said Türk.
In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports on the execution of 565 people and death sentences for 92 people, six of whom were sentenced to be hanged in public. Of these 565 executions, two death sentences were carried out in public, and five were juvenile offenders who were under 18 years old at the time of committing the alleged crime.
The breakdown of charges for these executions is as follows: 122 individuals were executed for drug-related offenses, 59 for murder, 6 for undisclosed charges, 1 for adultery, 1 for ideological charges, 1 for corruption, 1 for Moharebeh (political security), and 1 for non-political Moharebeh.
Skylar Thompson, the head of Global Advocacy and Accountability of Human Rights Activists, stated that “the surging rate of executions in Iran illustrates an utter disregard for human life. Under no circumstance does the ongoing use of the death penalty, for drug-related offenses in particular, amount to what is permittable under international law. Iranian authorities have an absolute obligation to uphold international human rights standards and instead, there is ongoing impunity for grave violations of the right to life–and more. The international community must not delay in sounding the alarm, they should call for a stay of executions for those currently facing execution and a moratorium on the death penalty, at a minimum, for crimes not amounting to “most serious” under international law.”
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, there has been a noticeable increase in the execution of prisoners in Iranian prisons over the past week.
Based on the reports compiled by HRANA, the death sentences were carried out in several prisons, including Rajai Shahr (Karaj), Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Urmia, Ardabil, Dastgerd (Isfahan), Vakilabad (Mashhad), Neishabur, Torbat-e-Jam, Rasht, Yazd, Birjand, Qazvin, Minab, Bandar Abbas, Zahedan, Khorramabad, and Iranshahr.
Out of the 45 executed prisoners, 29 were convicted of drug-related charges, while at least 15 were executed for murder.
At least 19 death-row prisoners were also transferred to solitary confinement in Salmas, Urmia, Khorin, Ghezel Hesar (Karaj), Yazd, Bandar Abbas, Birjand, and Zahedan, which could be a prelude to their execution. HRANA is investigating their fate, and the statistics presented in this report could increase.
As of the time of writing, most of these executions have not been announced by official sources or media inside Iran.
The issuance and execution of death sentences violate the right to live and have been heavily criticized by international organizations, with Iran ranking first globally in execution rate per capita.
In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports on the execution of 565 people and death sentences for 92 people, six of whom were sentenced to be hanged in public. Of these 565 executions, two death sentences were carried out in public, and five were juvenile offenders who were under 18 years old at the time of committing the alleged crime.
At least 192 people, including 8 women, have been executed in Iran from January 1 to May 5. The majority of these executions were for drug-related offenses and murder. Moreover, 71 death sentences were issued, and 27 other sentences were confirmed by the Supreme Court.
The breakdown of charges for these executions is as follows: 122 individuals were executed for drug-related offenses, 59 for murder, 6 for undisclosed charges, 1 for adultery, 1 for ideological charges, 1 for corruption, 1 for Moharebeh (political security), and 1 for non-political Moharebeh.
Skylar Thompson, the head of Global Advocacy and Accountability of Human Rights Activists, stated that “the surging rate of executions in Iran illustrates an utter disregard for human life. Under no circumstance does the ongoing use of the death penalty, for drug-related offenses in particular, amount to what is permittable under international law. Iranian authorities have an absolute obligation to uphold international human rights standards and instead, there is ongoing impunity for grave violations of the right to life–and more. The international community must not delay in sounding the alarm, they should call for a stay of executions for those currently facing execution and a moratorium on the death penalty, at a minimum, for crimes not amounting to “most serious” under international law.”
HRANA has identified one of the inmates executed in Rasht as Jalaledin Rahimian Azar, a 23-year-old resident of Mahabad who was convicted of murder. The other three inmates executed in Rasht were convicted of drug-related crimes.
Additionally, on the same day, Faramarz Shakhsi, a resident of Bukan, was executed in Urmia Prison. Also, Khorramabad Prison officials executed an inmate identified as Hamid Emami, convicted of murder.
In addition to these executions, on the same day, Faramarz Shakhsi, a resident of Bukan, was executed in Urmia prison and Hamid Emami, who had been convicted of murder, was executed in Khorramabad prison.
In recent days, the number of executions has surged in various prisons across the country, adding to the growing concern about the use of the death penalty in Iran’s justice system.
None of the official sources and media outlets inside the country has reported these executions at the time of writing.
In 2022, the Department of Statistics and Publication of Human Rights Activists in Iran registered 457 reports related to the death penalty. This included 92 death sentences, including the conviction of 6 people to public execution and 565 execution sentences were carried out, 2 of which have been carried out in public. Based on the announced identifications of some of the executed individuals, 501 were male and 11 were female. In addition, 5 juvenile offenders were executed in 2022, meaning they were under the age of 18 at the time they committed the crime.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, on April 3, 2023, security forces arrested Fakhreddin Ebrahimi in Urmia.
On March 27, Ebrahimi reportedly was summoned to the Investigation branch of the Urmia Public and Revolutionary Court for the allegation of “destructing door of guard room of the Court of Appeal.” He was arrested there by security forces and taken to a detention facility.
Earlier, on March 16, 2023, he was also arrested by security forces and released on bond the next day.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting Kurdpa, Asa’ad Arhani was arrested by security forces.
Arhani was reportedly arrested on the way back to Oshnavieh. The agents did not show any arrest warrant.
The reason for his arrest and the allegations against him are still unknown.
According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, Reza Pourjafar was arrested by security forces in Urmia, West Azerbaijan Province.
The reason for his arrest, his whereabouts, and the allegations against him are still unknown.
